How to Fix "Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook" on Windows (2024)

When you depend on Outlook for managing your emails, calendar, contacts, and tasks, errors like "Cannot Start Microsoft Outlook" can disrupt your workflow. This guide will provide effective tips for getting Outlook back up and running on your Windows PC.

1. Run Outlook in Safe Mode

Third-party add-ins can sometimes interfere with the Outlook app and prevent it from opening on your PC. To check for this possibility, you can open Outlook in Safe Mode. This will allow the app to run without any add-ins or custom settings, helping you determine whether the issue is caused by an add-in or something else.

To open Outlook in safe mode:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type Outlook.exe /safe in the text field and press Enter.

If Outlook opens and works as expected in Safe Mode, it's likely that one of your add-ins is responsible for the "Cannot start Microsoft Outlook" error. To identify the one causing the issue, you'll need to disable all your add-ins and then enable them one at a time. Here’s how to do it:

1. In the Outlook app, go to File > Options.
2. Select the Add-ins tab in the Outlook Options window.
3. Click the Go button next to COM Add-ins.
4. Clear all the checkboxes to disable your add-ins, and then click OK.

   

Restart the Outlook app and then enable your add-ins one by one until the issue occurs again. Once you identify the problematic add-in, the best option is to remove it.

2. Reset the Outlook Navigation Pane

The Outlook navigation pane serves as the central hub for switching between various tabs, such as Mail, Calendar, People, and Tasks. Issues with the navigation pane can sometimes prevent the Outlook app from starting correctly.

You can try resetting the navigation pane to remove all customizations and see if that helps. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box. Type Outlook.exe /resetnavpane in the box and hit Enter.

3. Create a New Outlook Profile

Your Outlook profile contains all the settings related to your email account, including server configurations, signatures, rules, and various other preferences. If your current profile is corrupt or inaccessible, Outlook may not open and show errors. In most cases, you can fix such issues by creating and switching to a new Outlook profile.

To create a new Outlook profile:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control in the box and hit Enter to open the Control Panel.
3. Click on Mail (Microsoft Outlook).
4. Under Profiles, select Show Profiles.
5. Click the Add button, enter a name for your profile, and click OK.
6. Enter your account details and click Next to create the profile.
7. Select the new profile under When starting Microsoft Outlook and hit Apply.

   

The Microsoft Office repair tool on Windows can help you fix various Outlook errors. Here's how to run it.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type appwiz.cpl in the box and press Enter.
3. Select the Microsoft Office suite on the list and click the Change button at the top.
4. Select the Online Repair option and then click Repair.

   

5. Repair Outlook Data Files

Another reason why you might encounter the "Cannot start Microsoft Outlook" error is due to damaged data files. Thankfully, Microsoft includes an Inbox Repair Tool that can help you fix these files. Here's how to run it.

1. Right-click the Outlook shortcut and select Properties.
2. In the Shortcut tab, click on Open File Location.
3. Locate SCANPST.EXE and double-click it.
4. In the Microsoft Outlook Inbox Repair Tool window, click Browse and then navigate to the following directory:

   C:\Users\*username*\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook 

   Replace *username* in the above path with your own username.
5. Select the profile you want to repair and then click Start.

   

Once the scan is complete, try to open the Outlook app again.

6. Disable Compatibility Mode for Outlook

Compatibility mode on Windows is a useful feature that helps you run older programs and software on your Windows PC. However, since Outlook is fully optimized for Windows, running it in compatibility mode can trigger strange errors.

To disable compatibility mode for Outlook, right-click on its shortcut and select Properties. Switch to the Compatibility tab and uncheck the Run this program in compatibility mode option. Then, click Apply, followed by OK. After this, Outlook should open on your Windows computer.

Applying one of these solutions should fix the "Cannot start Microsoft Outlook" error and get the email client working as expected. That said, if you're tired of dealing with such issues with the Outlook app, there are plenty of free email apps for Windows worth exploring.